The DNREC Earth Day Video Contest is back! The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control invited students to share their views on the importance of environmental protection and inspire others to be part of the solution to address climate change.

On April 20, 2022, DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin recognized students from throughout the state who won the 2022 Earth Day video contest.

The global theme for Earth Day 2022, Invest in Our Planet, is focused on accelerating solutions to climate change, and to engage and encourage everyone – governments, citizens and businesses – to do their part.

Students were asked to produce and submit a 30-second video to answer this question:

If you were in charge of the world, what actions would you take to improve the health of our planet?

2022 Contest Winners

The winners, chosen from each of three categories based on grade, were:

Michael Hopkins, a 7-year-old first grader at Kathleen H. Wilbur Elementary School in Bear, for the video “Save the Earth – It’s Easy-Peasy!”

Johannes Chow, a 12-year-old seventh grader at Brandywine Springs School in Wilmington, for the video “We Have Only One World”

Nathen Going, an 18-year-old 12th grader at Caesar Rodney High School in Camden, for the video “Save Our Planet”

Judging was based on how well the videos represented the following criteria:

• Message/theme
• Visual effectiveness
• Originality/creativity
• Universal appeal

Serving on the judging panel were:

• Sherae’a “Rae” Moore, an educator and State Representative
• Maddy Lauria, a freelance environmental journalist
• Jackie Knoll, head environmental educator with the Center for the Inland Bays
• Mike Polo, DNREC videographer

2021 Contest Winners

On Earth Day in 2021, Delaware Governor John Carney joined DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin to recognize the student winners from throughout Delaware who entered the first DNREC Earth Day Video Contest.

They were:

John Doerfler IV, a 10-year-old 4th grader at Love Creek Elementary School in Lewes, for the video “From Little Things, Big Things Grow”

Ethan Fink, a 13-year-old 7th grader at Everett Meredith Middle School in Middletown, for the video “Saving Our Water Saves Our Earth”

Iveena Mukherjee, a 14-year-old 9th grader at the Charter School of Wilmington, for the video “Earning Our Environment”

Official Rules

The video submission and the completed Entry and Release Form(s) must be submitted by Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 4 p.m.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (“DNREC”) shall not accept late or incomplete entries, or entries that have not followed these Official Rules.

DNREC reserves the right to adjust any deadline(s) as the result of causes beyond its immediate control. DNREC will take reasonable steps to notify of any adjustments made to deadlines.

Content

Video submissions must not contain inappropriate, indecent, or obscene content. DNREC has sole discretion in determining whether any video submission contains inappropriate, indecent, or obscene content. Video submissions determined by DNREC to contain inappropriate, indecent, or obscene content shall be rejected by DNREC.

Video submissions must be original, previously unpublished, and created solely by the submitting entrant(s), and not violate the intellectual property rights, copyright, or right of property of any third party. DNREC will reject video submissions that it determines, in its sole discretion, contain copyrighted materials. Video submissions that have been entered into other contests, or have been published elsewhere (newspapers, magazines, online, etc.) are not eligible.

Video submissions should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared.

Videos may not include other discernable people, names, signatures, logos or other identifying marks.

Eligibility

This contest is open to all legal residents of the State of Delaware who are between the ages of 5 and 19 at the time of entry.

Children of DNREC employees may submit videos in accordance with these Official Rules. Children of DNREC employees, however, are not eligible to win prizes.

Judging and Selection of Winning Entries

The judging panel will include at least one professional from each of the following fields: videography, education, journalism and science. One winner will be selected from each of three categories based on grade: Grades K through 4, Grades 5 through 8, and Grades 9 through 12.

Video submissions shall be judged and winning entries for each category shall be selected based on how well the videos represent the following criteria: message/theme (40%), visual effectiveness (30%), originality/creativity (20%), and universal appeal (10%).

DNREC has sole discretion over the selection of winning entries for each category. By entering this contest, entrants waive any right they have to dispute or otherwise challenge DNREC’s selection of the winning entries.

Prizes for Winning Entries

The winners in each category will receive the following: a $500 gift card, a Delaware State Parks annual pass for 2022, a gift bag, and an award certificate.

DNREC will make reasonable efforts to notify winners by phone or email by April 15, 2022. Contest winners will be announced publicly via email, news release(s) and social media on Earth Day, April 22, 2022. All Winners will be invited to participate in an awards ceremony to be held at a Delaware location on or around Earth Day, April 22, 2022.

General Provisions

Video Release: By entering this Contest and submitting this completed Release Form, I, on behalf of myself and, if applicable, the Child identified on this Release Form, grant permission to the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and its employees a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, nonexclusive license to display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the Video submission, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or subsequently developed, for any State of Delaware or DNREC purpose, including, but not limited to advertising and promotion of DNREC in print, its web site, and its publications. By entering this Contest, I further agree that the Video submission complies with to these Official Rules I will make no monetary or other claim against DNREC or the State of Delaware for the use of any content provided DNREC in connection with My or My Child’s Participation in this Contest.

DNREC is an Agency of the State of Delaware subject to Delaware’s Freedom of Information Act (29 Del. C. 10001 et seq). Participants are advised that any information provided to DNREC in conjunction with this Contest may be deemed a public record under FOIA.

No Third Party Rights: This Release Form affects the rights, obligations, and duties of the Parties only. Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, nothing in this Release Form is intended to, nor shall it be interpreted or construed in a manner which shall: (a) grant any third party the right to enforce any of the terms, rights, or obligations set forth herein; (b) confer any substantive or procedural rights or privileges to any third party in relation to or arising out of any collateral civil or criminal legal proceeding; or (c) waive or otherwise affect the sovereignty of the State of Delaware or the application of 10 Del. C. § 4001, et seq. to any civil proceeding involving any officer, employee, or agent of the State of Delaware.

These Terms shall governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware. Any legal action brought by either party to enforce any provision of this Agreement shall be brought in an appropriate Delaware State Court.

 

Related Topics:  contest, earth day, education, outdoors and recreation, video